News Archive

Safety stressed for those in court; grace period for enforcement

Statement from Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans
Circuit Court of Cook County

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today agreed to a request by Judge Michael P. Toomin and submitted a letter to the Illinois Supreme Court requesting that a judge from outside of Cook County be assigned to preside over People v. Vanecko, 12 CR 22450. 

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced beginning January 14, 2013, the public will not be permitted to bring cell phones and other electronic devices into any Circuit Court of Cook County courthouse facility except for the Richard J. Daley Center Courthouse.  The ban will affect only those courthouse facilities in which criminal matters are heard.*

Included in the ban are all electronic devices capable of connecting to the Internet or making audio or video recordings, including laptops and tablet computers.

Even before they step into the courthouse, parents contemplating divorce can now take a parenting class online to help their children deal with the effects of divorce. 

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans and Domestic Relations Division Presiding Judge Grace G. Dickler announced the court is now offering parenting education classes online through a new interactive program, Children in Between Online (CIBO) at http://online.divorce-education.com.   

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans and Domestic Relations Division Presiding Judge Grace G. Dickler announced the court today will begin offering court ordered parenting education classes online through a new interactive program, Children in Between Online (CIBO) at http://online.divorce-education.com. 

Regarding the report in today's Chicago Sun-Times, the Office of the Chief Judge issued the following statement:

Judge Suan J. McDunn was removed from hearing cases in the Circuit Court of Cook County by Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans and her Presiding Judge Willam D. Maddux months ago, and has been on medical leave since that time. It is the policy of the Office of the Chief Judge not to comment on the extent or nature of medical information concerning judges or employees.

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans issued the following statement in response to inquiries on establishing a gun court in Cook County:

Noting he received a telephone call from the Preckwinkle administration late on Tuesday, Chief Judge Evans said, “At around 4 p.m. yesterday, I first learned that county officials were proposing that I establish a gun court in the Circuit Court of Cook County. Beyond that, I did not receive any substantive information.

“Today, I learned that there will be an advisory committee instead to study gun court models.

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans and Juvenile Justice Division Presiding Judge Michael P. Toomin today announced that the juvenile court has partnered with several bar organizations to launch a new program in which male attorneys volunteer to commit to a one year mentoring relationship with non-violent male probationers.

Bar associations participating in the Juvenile Mentoring Initiative include The Chicago Bar Association, the Cook County Bar Association, and the Hispanic Lawyers’ Association of Illinois.  

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans announced the Annual Arab-American Heritage Month Courthouse Tour of the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 West Washington Street, will take place on Friday, November 2, 2012. Co-sponsoring the tour is the Arab-American Bar Association of Illinois, Inc.

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans today announced he is forming a committee of judges to study and make recommendations on the Circuit Court’s New Judges’ Seminar program.

Members of the Committee on New Judges’ Seminar appointed thus far are: